Bring Him Home
by theletterdee
Summary: Matthew's injured, Alice realizes she might lose him and reevaluates why she's holding back. Anon prompt fill (of a sorts) on tumblr, and it'll be angst with a happy ending!
1. Chapter 1

anon prompt (of a sorts) who asked: " **i wish u could write a fic where one of malice gets hurt which is enough for alice to realise she has no time to lose"**

prepare for some angst! but it'll end happy

* * *

Alice kept her eyes on her watch as she checked Mr. Waverley's pulse.

 _12:57 pm, pulse is slightly elevated, but within normal bounds, patient seems to be recovering from an acute myocardial infarction quickly, will still prescribe nitroglycerin to stave off any possible future attacks._

She tuned out the hospital bustle behind her, focusing her attention on the patient before her. Taking on a bigger role in the hospital, coming out of the morgue more and more, gave her many opportunities to work on her interpersonal skills.

(Even if she still preferred the quiet of the dead to the confusing antics of her peers. Matthew said she was improving and she took it to heart.)

"Doctor Harvey!" Nurse Wolfe rushed up to her side (one of the few nurses Alice actually got along with) and diverted her attention from Mr. Waverley's check up.

"Yes, Nurse Wolfe?" Alice asked, smiling briefly at Mr. Waverley and his wife as she updated his chart.

"There's an incoming emergency, Dr. Hubert is still in the OR, you're the only doctor on call."

She sighed and nodded. "Remind me to ask the director about our short staff. Where are they coming in from?"

"Ambulance bay, Doctor."

Alice checked her watch again.

 _1:01 pm_

"What are we preparing for?"

"Arrest gone bad, a brawl broke out during a police raid, the patient received multiple blows to head and torso, possible broken ribs and concussion, officers at the scene mentioned a possible stabbing as well."

"Right," Alice nodded as they rushed to meet the gurney. "I want x-rays after I take an assessment of the patient. Has a room been prepped?"

"Yes, Doctor, OR 2 is ready to go."

"Please tell Radiology to clear a slot for us, Nurse Wolfe."

"Yes, Doctor Harvey," she dashed off as the gurney came around the bend.

Alice spied a bruised - but walking - Bill Hobart following the gurney, worry etched into the lines of his face. The newest sergeant - _Carter, Matthew called him Carter_ \- trailed behind Hobart, his face unreadable. Constable Crowe was nowhere to be seen.

And neither was Matthew.

"Status?" she demanded as she hurried towards them, her white coat billowing behind her, stethoscope banging against her sternum.

"Patient's slipping in and out of consciousness, possible concussion, multiple puncture wounds to the left lateral anterior, contusions to the face, head, and torso."

"Have the puncture wounds hit any organs or arteries?"

"Unknown, Doctor."

Alice nodded, "Let me see them."

The ring of medical personnel and police officers parted enough for Alice to reach the patient's side and she felt the blood in her face drain and the air leave her like someone had punched her in the gut.

 _Matthew_

Matthew lay on the gurney, both eyes blackened, bruises littering his sharp features, his lip split and oozing blood. Alice fought back tears and bile as she took all of his injuries in. Schooling her face into a smooth mask, Alice stepped into the role of Doctor Harvey - barking orders at the staff around her, cooly and calmly assessing the situation and sending Matthew down the hall to OR 2.

Alice, on the other hand, was screaming inside her head - full on screaming and crying, falling to her knees because it was _Matthew_ lying there, and they didn't know if he'd wake or recover.

 _What if this is it, what if we are out of time? - What if I've squandered my only chance at happiness? - What if he doesn't know how I feel? - What if… what if…?_

She didn't let any of it show - couldn't - aside from her shaking hands as she watched his gurney round the corner where he'd be prepped for surgery. Out of habit, Alice looked at her watch.

 _1:07 pm_

She rounded on Hobart and Carter, "What the _hell_ happened?"

Hobart flinched at the venom in her tone - he'd known her long enough by now to hear it. Carter looked appalled at her question, surprised that she had the gall to question them in the first place. Alice didn't give a damn; she'd eviscerate anyone who caused this to happen, regardless of their standing.

"There were more people there than we were told, Doc," Hobart answered, scratching at the back of his neck. "Another group of them ambushed us and Boss got caught up in it all. We're still not sure who stabbed him."

She clenched and unclenched her fists, willing her brain to calm down, to shut off the personal ties she had in this and focus on the medical side. Matthew needed her calm, he needed her to be Doctor Harvey, not Alice. Her nails dug into her palms and the pain helped clear the fog.

"I would go find out, Sergeant, unless you need to be seen medically. I'll call with news once he's out of surgery."

Hobart nodded, "Sure thing, Doc." He pulled Carter away, the two of them quickly exiting the hospital without another word to her.

Alice rushed towards the OR where Matthew was waiting.

 _1:10 pm_

She washed her hands urgently, her mind spinning and whirling through what needed to be looked at, what needed to be done, as Nurse Wolfe helped her into a surgical gown.

"We've got Superintendent Lawson hooked up to fluids and blood, the puncture wounds have slowed their bleeding, but it's still worrisome, Doctor."

"Any word from Radiology?" Her hands shook as she pulled on gloves - _Calm, Alice, Matthew needs you calm and collected for this_ \- Wolfe tied a mask over her face and the cap on her hair. Alice chanced a look at the clock as they entered the OR.

 _1:12 pm_

"They're on standby as soon as his condition is stable."

"Good, let's get to work."

Alice willed her hands to be steady, even as her heart leapt into her throat and stayed lodged there the entire time Matthew was under her knife. She knew she was short with the hospital staff, but one look into her slightly wild, burning eyes stopped any protest and Alice could only imagine the rumors that would circulate about her after this.

She didn't care, all she wanted and needed was for Matthew to be stable, to be okay, to wake up and give her one of his rare smiles. Stealing a moment once his stab wounds were stabilized and no other internal damage detected, but before he was sent to Radiology, Alice pulled down her mask and pressed a shaky kiss to his forehead when everyone else's attention was elsewhere.

She ignored the tear that landed next to the faint lipstick print and briskly sent him off for x-rays.

 _1:23 pm_


	2. Chapter 2

The last time Alice had seen Matthew this still was after the mad man ran him over with a car and permanently crippled him. They'd barely known each other back then, no more than passing acquaintances with a common thread - one Dr. Lucien Blake.

Now, however, now Alice could scarcely breathe as she watched his chest rise and fall in the low lamplight. Now Matthew knew how she took her tea, how she didn't have a high tolerance for wine, how she liked to curl up on the couch with a trashy romance novel (or two or three), how her feet always ran cold, and that she didn't like overly sweet things, but she'd always say yes to chocolate cake.

Now Alice knew how to brew tea to his exact standards, how to make him smile when a tough case came across his desk, how he liked to shout out the answers while watching quiz shows in the parlor, how he liked to bake and cook for others (sometimes giving Jean and Amy a break in the kitchen), how he tapped the pen against his chin as he carefully filled in the _Courier_ 's crossword, and that he adored having Geoffrey over to mentor and read all the interesting books and novels in the Blake household.

The bruises darkened on his face the longer she sat there and somewhere she could hear the ticking of a clock; it echoed the ticking in her mind, the bits of sand of her happiness and sanity that slowly sifted through the cracks in her fingers no matter how hard she tried to hold it all together.

Matthew hadn't woken since getting out of the OR and Radiology. Luckily, he didn't have any bleeding on the brain or in his abdominal cavity, but Alice still chewed on her lower lip the longer he stayed unconscious. The tears that she'd pushed back as she barked out orders and demands over his body came rushing back the moment she'd taken time to let it all catch up to her. She'd left so much unsaid, she'd let others dictate how she lived for once, and while it seemed like they'd have a boundless amount of time to figure it all out, the proof of how fleeting life could be lay before her in the dark splotches littered on Matthew's face.

She felt like she was running out of time.

If she looked away for a second, would he slip from her grasp without a sound?

Would she be able to fathom a future without him in it?

 _I need more time. I need him._

The tears started and Alice couldn't stop them if she tried.

A faint knock on his door startled her from her thoughts and Alice looked up to see Jean Blake peeking in.

"Am I interrupting?"

Alice shook her head and her friend settled into the chair next to hers. She tried, valiantly, to wipe away her tears, but when Jean's hand grasped hers tightly, Alice knew she'd failed spectacularly.

"How is he doing?" Jean asked softly, the hushed question reminding Alice of the oppressive air of an old church, or the quiet before a storm. They all teetered on the edge of _something_ , and Alice itched to get it over with.

"Recovering," Alice answered flatly. She sniffed and swiped at her cheeks - more tears falling when Jean smoothed a hand over her back, much like Lucien had done during the Orton debacle years ago. "He thankfully doesn't have a concussion, a few fractured ribs, and the stab wounds of course, but they missed vital organs and arteries. No internal bleeding, but he'll hurt for awhile."

Jean sighed beside her - her hand still warm on Alice's back. "He won't like being back here."

"He should have thought about that before going on that raid," Alice replied, wincing at her own sharpness and the way Jean's fingers dug slightly into her back. "I'm… I'm sorry, Jean, I don't…"

"You're scared, I understand, Alice."

Tears sprang to her eyes again and she tried to wipe them as they fell; the press of a handkerchief told her how bad it was and Alice gave Jean a rueful smile.

"I just… there's so much to say and… I thought we had time."

"You still do, Alice. Matthew's right here, he's alive - a little bruised, a little battered, but alive and before you know it he'll be grouchy and grumpy towards the nursing staff."

They shared a chuckle at Matthew's bluster and sour moods whenever he felt the slightest bit sick and knew the hospital staff had their work cut out for themselves during his recovery.

Alice wiped up her tears and twisted the handkerchief in her hands as Jean pulled her into a one-armed side hug. She leaned her head against Jean's - this hospital vigil so poignantly different from the one with Lucien before their wedding, and yet Alice was struck with a feeling of deja vu.

How many times had the two of them bonded over Lucien ending up in the hospital? How many times had they shared cups of tea in sterilized hallways and rooms, frantic with worry over whether or not their men would come out alright in the end?

(And they always were _their_ men, Alice mused, they always had been intertwined just so since the moment Lucien returned to Ballarat in 1958 and set in motion the series of events that pulled the four of them together in a way akin to wool fibers spinning into thread.)

Even with a piece missing, their bond remained strong.

Jean's presence soothed Alice's frayed nerves, her whirling thoughts slowing with each pass of Jean's hand over her upper arm.

"I…" Alice whispered, biting her lower lip as she struggled to put her thoughts into coherent words. "Jean?"

"Yes, Alice?"

"What if… what if I lose him?" She looked to her friend, eyes glassy with fresh tears. "There's so much… that I want to tell him and what if I don't get that chance?"

Jean's face was half-anguish and half-empathy. She knew exactly what Alice was feeling at this moment and Alice worried at the memories it'd bring up, but she had no one else to turn to.

"Oh, Alice," she sighed. "I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen, but I think you should tell Matthew how you feel."

"I-"

"I know you're holding back because of talk, but to hell with them, you deserve to be _happy_."

"I want to be," Alice whispered, her knuckles white as she clung to the handkerchief. "I so badly want to be, Jean, I just…"

"You're scared… I remember being that way too with Lucien. I was caught between what society told me what was right, what the Church told me was right, and what my heart wanted. Alice, you've never been conventional, you've never bowed to society and I've always admired that about you. Why are you going to let them stop you from the one thing that'll make you happy?"

"I don't want it to reflect badly on _him_ , Jean. Melbourne is always looking for a reason to sack him, I won't be that last straw that pulls him away from the job he loves."

"Alice," Jean gently pulled the mangled handkerchief from her hands and waited until she looked up to continue. "Matthew deserves a say in this. You should tell him how you feel, tell him your fears and doubts… he may have a solution, he may not."

"And the talk, the whispers?"

"Let them talk, my dear Alice. Take a chance while you still have it."

Alice nodded, more tears slipping down her face (she thought she'd cried them all out at this point, evidently not) as Jean pulled her into a hug - her hands smoothing up and down Alice's back.

"Now, let's get you home to get some rest, or if you'd like you can come and stay over in one of the guest rooms at the house if you don't want to be alone."

She sniffed and drew back from the hug, smiling fondly when Jean brushed away the lingering tears. "I'd like that, actually. Thank you, Jean."

Jean's hand was warm and motherly against her cheek, echoing in her smile as her friend nodded. "We've got to stick together, us girls. You're always welcome in my home, Alice."


	3. Chapter 3

Jean watched Alice carefully over the next few days while Matthew recovered in the hospital. They had to keep him under light sedation to recover and she knew it ragged on Alice's nerves. Hospital staff walked on eggshells around Dr. Harvey, especially when she was on her rounds after checking on Matthew; she was short with police too whenever her duties as Police Surgeon called her away from Matthew's side.

Luckily, Hobart had experience dealing with a prickly Alice Harvey and let a lot of it slide; Peter tried to be there for her as much as he could (Sergeant Carter, however, was not thrilled and the two of them butted heads often). Jean was usually also called in with Alice to smooth ruffled feathers and she prayed that Matthew would recover quickly.

Alice haunted the house, rattling around the halls long after Amy was done for the day and Jean busy with council paperwork in the study. Whe she didn't have work, Alice would curl up on the couch, staring unseeing at the walls as her tea grew cold, read books without actually reading them, or sit out in the sunroom long after the sun had gone down. With Lucien's disappearance, his practice dried up and the patients moved on (though Agnes Clasby liked to stop by now and then for a visit), so there wasn't anything Jean could really distract Alice with.

Not that she'd send patients to her in this state.

Jean took care of her, made sure she ate and showered and slept in between shifts at the hospital and calls out to the station. She let Alice have Mattie's old room, up on the second floor, but most mornings the bed was still made and Jean would tiptoe down to Matthew's room on the first floor to find Alice curled up on top of his bed - her arms wrapped tightly around one of his pillows, his thick green bathrobe draped over top of her like a blanket.

She never breathed a word about it to Alice; she simply woke her friend for the day with a steaming cup of strong tea and helped her work through cases while they waited for Matthew to wake up.

* * *

Alice pinched at the bridge of her nose and let out a long sigh, trying to will away the headache building behind her eyes. Her eyes burned with grit - sleep was fitful, even surrounded by the comforting smell of Matthew's things (old books, pipe tobacco, the spice of his aftershave, and mint); she hadn't slept this little since her medical school days and it was starting to catch up with her. Her nerves and patience were almost completely shot, most of the hospital staff gave her a wide berth in the halls - only approaching her if they absolutely needed to - and Alice saved all of her tact for dealing with patients.

Jean was blessedly understanding, usually making sure she didn't tread on too many toes while fulfilling her police surgeon duties, trying to get Alice to rest more, and that both of them were well fed on top of her council meetings and jobs.

(She'd have to thank her profusely when this was all over)

Only Nurse Wolfe would talk to her, keeping her up to date on various patients and hospital gossip, assisting Alice on her rounds, and always ready with a cup of tea if she saw Alice falling behind. She saw more of Constable Peter Crowe as well - Hobart sent him to assist with autopsies since Alice and Sergeant Carter butted heads every time they spoke.

Carter didn't like Alice - didn't like her methods, the way she spoke to him, or the fact that she was a woman.

Alice didn't give a damn - she was there to do her job and get back to Matthew.

Peter, dear Peter, kept smiling - even at her most taciturn, Alice appreciated it - and asking after her, Jean, and Matthew. He was even picking up medical terms and seeing the signs of foul play in bodies during autopsies, starting to trade theories back and forth with her as they worked. Pride swelled in her chest at her sort of protege, and more often than not, she walked away from time with him feeling more energized - was this what Lucien felt like with Charlie?

A cup slid into view and Alice looked up to see Peter standing there with a smile.

"Constable Crowe."

"Morning, Doc, you look like you need this."

She gave him a tired smile, "I do, thank you."

"Any news about the boss?"

"Still unconscious, but… he's healing nicely," Alice answered.

He nodded, "That's good, right?"

"Yes, it is."

"Good, I'm starting to miss him telling me to stop smiling."

That startled a laugh out of her and it very nearly ended in tears (' _God I'm so tired_ '), but she blinked them back as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"I miss him too, Constable." She took a sip of the tea - pleasantly surprised it was exactly how she liked it, she wondered if he'd been talking to Nurse Wolfe. "If you're truly missing someone telling you to not smile, I'm sure Sergeant Hobart could take over."

Peter grinned, "Nah, he's used to me already, just ignores it."

Alice chuckled into her mug, "Then I suppose I could."

"You _were_ the first," he nodded. "I think Boss picked it up from you."

She was surprised that he'd noticed, and that her cheeks grew warm at the idea of her and Matthew picking up little things from each other. It made sense, besides the Blakes, Matthew was her closest friend, the one she trusted the most with… everything.

' _Matthew, please wake up_.'

A commotion at the nurse's station interrupted their conversation and Alice sighed.

"What now?"

She vaguely registered that Peter followed her as she rounded the corner to deal with the disturbance. One of the nurses - _Frey? Frye?_ \- argued with a young red headed boy, their voices starting to carry down the hallway as the boy stubbornly refused to leave. Alice got closer and recognized him - Geoffrey Roper.

' _He must have heard about Matthew_ ,' Alice mused and instinctively reached out to touch his elbow lightly and get his attention - Matthew said he had difficulty hearing.

"What's all this?" she asked, directing her question more to Geoffrey than the nurse.

"I heard Superintendent Lawson got hurt and I wanted to see him," Geoffrey told her. They had a passing understanding of each other - she'd sometimes been over at the Blake house when Geoffrey and Matthew discussed books, Matthew drawing her in to explain some of the science behind their stories. Geoffrey hadn't interacted with her much, but he knew that Alice was friendly (to Matthew, to him).

"I told him that only family is allowed back on the ward," the nurse sniffed, crossing her arms.

"Hm," Alice frowned. She looked back at Geoffrey; he'd set his chin in a stubborn way that reminded Alice so much of Matthew. If she denied him access, he'd probably just sit in the waiting room whenever he had free time, all just to see Matthew.

Offering the boy her hand, Alice gave him a slight smile, "C'mon."

"You mean…?" he looked at her hand and then up at her, both of them ignoring the nurse's outraged spluttering.

"You want to see him, Mr. Roper, the least I can do is show you where he is."

"Really?"

Alice nodded, her smile widening when he took her hand. She swept him away from the nurse's station, paying no mind to the irritated nurse behind her - what was another coworker who didn't like her? She wouldn't be the first and certainly not the last.

Geoffrey practically skipped beside her and she bit back the fond laugh. He'd blossomed under Matthew's mentorship, his smarts and personality shining through once he'd found someone who allowed him to be himself; Alice knew the feeling, much of the same sort of thing happened with her and Lucien. Matthew delighted in teaching Geoffrey about history and swapping murder mystery novels, and Geoffrey could escape out from under his mother's controlling and abusive thumb.

"How is he?" Geoffrey asked her once they got away from the nurse.

"He's… not good, Mr. Roper. He's stable, but he's still unconscious."

"Will he wake?"

Alice saw no reason to lie to him, no good ever came from lying. She did try to soften it though. "I don't know. We stitched him up, and he's on fluids… but he got injured pretty badly and his body needs time to heal."

He pondered what she told him, clutching his book to his chest and his hand tightening around hers. "So… we wait?"

"We wait," she nodded.

"He must be awfully bored, in his head, I mean."

She'd never thought of it that way.

"I… suppose he is."

"I brought a book, do you think he'd mind me reading to him?"

"I think he'd like that very much, Mr. Roper." She paused before Matthew's room and nodded. "He's in there. He looks very bad, but keep in mind that he's healing."

That stubborn set of Geoffrey's chin was back and he nodded. "I will, Dr. Harvey."

Alice moved to walk away from him, but a light tug on her white coat had her turning around with a raised eyebrow.

Geoffrey's cheeks flushed faintly and he looked at his shoes, "Will you…?"

"Yes?"

"Will you stay? Sometimes there are words I don't know and Superintendent Lawson usually helps me sound them out, but…"

The other eyebrow rose and she glanced between him and Matthew's still sleeping form inside the room. Biting her lower lip, Alice nodded. "I… of course, Mr. Roper."

"Could you call me Geoffrey?"

"Of course, Geoffrey."

She let him pull her into Matthew's room and smiled as he chatted with Matthew - updating the unconscious police superintendent on happenings at school: whether he was bullied or not, what they were learning about in history, what was happening at the Roper Nursery - while they settled into the chairs next to his bed.

Alice sat to Geoffrey's side and followed along in the book over his shoulder; at first she only helped him sound out words, but he liked how she read it out loud and asked her to take over on the next chapter. They alternated chapters, Geoffrey's head ending up on her shoulder somewhere along the line and Alice found she didn't mind it at all.

Matthew seemed more at ease when they were done, but Alice supposed that could be her own mind playing tricks on her. Geoffrey left the book on his bedside and asked her if they could continue tomorrow.

Alice smiled and nodded, "I'd like that and we have to find out what happens next."

Geoffrey surprised her with a hug and practically ran from the room - leaving a startled pathologist in his wake, but Alice looked forward to his next visit.


	4. Chapter 4

Matthew woke to animated voices - both familiar in their cadence and timbre. He vaguely recognized the story being read and as he laid there, he realized it was Alice reading aloud - occasionally interrupted by Geoffrey asking questions, and he smiled at their easy back-and-forth banter, the way Alice patiently answered all of Geoffrey's questions.

Everything on his body hurt, in that dulled by painkillers sort of way and he bit back a groan at the full-body ache - it looked like he'd be in the hospital for an unknown amount of time.

Again.

"Never pegged you for being one to enjoy _Treasure Island_ , Dr. Harvey," Matthew finally slurred.

"Superintendent!" Geoffrey launched himself at Matthew's bed, careful not to jostle him too much. Matthew pried his eyes open, wincing slightly at how sore they were, but he laughed and hugged Geoffrey as tight as he could stand.

Alice stood by the bed, her fingers tangling knots within themselves, her lower lip caught between her teeth, and her brow furrowed.

He'd never seen a more beautiful sight.

"I… I should go call Jean," she shoved her hands in the pockets of her white coat and escaped his room before he could respond. Matthew frowned, his eyes staring at the door long after she'd disappeared from view.

"She's been really worried about you," Geoffrey told him. "She didn't say anything to me, but I could tell."

Matthew smiled, "You're very perceptive, Geoffrey. How long have I been out?"

The boy shrugged, "Mm… I think about a week? Dr. Harvey and I have been reading together for a few days, and you were hurt before that. I can ask for you."

"Nah, I'm sure I'll find out soon enough, but thank you." He squeezed Geoffrey's shoulder. "Now, has school been giving you any trouble?"

Geoffrey grinned and caught him up on all that happened while he'd been unconscious. Matthew listened and gave advice when Geoffrey needed it, but his mind still kept going back to the stricken look on Alice's face, the way she could barely hold herself together in front of him. He replayed it over and over again as hospital staff swarmed his room, running test after test on him.

He perked up every time the door opened, but Alice didn't return.

He'd seen the dark circles under her eyes - those piercing blue-grey eyes that often sussed out just what was bothering him on any given day - and the tears threatening to fall. Matthew wanted nothing more than to have a chance to talk to Alice, but since he'd woken up, she was nowhere in sight.

* * *

"I feel like she's avoiding me for some reason," He told Jean a few days later when she came to visit.

Jean shifted on the chair and pursed her lips as she debated on how much to tell him. She wouldn't tell him of the way Alice had sobbed in her arms one night after far too much wine; she'd come home to find Alice sitting on the floor of the parlor with a mostly empty wine bottle and one of Matthew's sweaters draped around her shoulders. The pathologist started out in a good mood, but her joyfulness quickly turned to sorrow as she berated herself for "being so stupid" when it came to Matthew.

" _I was never meant to be happy," Alice drawled as she drained her glass - oblivious to Jean's hand pulling the wine bottle out of reach. "My father always told me that. 'You'll never be more than a smart arse little girl who'll never be happy and unloved, Alice Eleanor Harvey. No one likes a smartarse' … I never thought he'd actually be right."_

 _Her friend let out a harsh laugh as tears streamed down her face, "I told that bastard that I'd prove him wrong, that I could be smart and happy in life and fall in love… and look where I am now."_

" _Oh, Ali-"_

" _Don't," Alice bit out. "Don't, Jean… I… I don't think I could stand to hear that I'm wrong when everything around me is screaming that I'll never be happy. My best friend is gone, the hospital barely tolerates me even now, and the only man I could ever see myself loving is unconscious and doesn't know how I feel. With my luck, he doesn't want anything to do with me."_

" _Alice, you know that's not true."_

" _He's only been asking me out because he feels bad for me. He's settling for me."_

" _No, Alice, he cares about you."_

 _Alice shook her head as her lower lip trembled; she sniffled and buried her head in her hands, "Jean… I just- I don't know what I'll do if I lose him."_

 _Jean wrapped her arms around Alice and let her cry it all out, a few of her own tears falling into Alice's hair as she comforted her friend._

 _Pressing a kiss to the crown of Alice's head, Jean rocked them gently, "You're not going to lose him, Alice."_

" _I just feel so stupid. I'm a medical doctor and yet so damn stupid when it comes to him."_

" _You're not stupid, Alice, you're not. He's going to wake up and the two of you will talk and then you'll go from there."_

 _Alice sobbed into her shoulder, "I… I-I think I love him, Jean, and I don't know what to do."_

 _Jean kissed the top of Alice's head again and held her tighter. "We'll get through this Alice."_

No, Jean wouldn't tell Matthew of that night. Instead, she straightened in her chair, "You scared her, Matthew; you scared all of us."

"I didn't mean to, I was just… doing my job." He played with the edge of the blanket - avoiding her gaze.

Jean narrowed her eyes at him, "Were you? Or did you throw yourself into harm's way knowingly?"

Matthew pursed his lips, and Jean knew he was chewing on his inner cheek - a nervous tick of his. She sighed, knowing just how _stubborn_ Matthew Lawson could be when he set his mind to it - she likely wasn't getting anything out of him on this subject, and rubbed at her forehead.

"Just… give Alice some time. She has some things to work out for herself and you need to focus on getting better."

"I will, Jean. I know she's been holding back because of what people might say, but I just… I miss her. I just want to talk to her and spend time with her again."

Jean smiled and pressed a kiss to his forehead before she left. "She misses you too… I'll work on her. You get better, I'll get Alice to talk to you."

* * *

He listened to the hospital staff - with a little grumbling - and worked hard at getting well enough to recover at home. The fractured ribs hurt like hell, and his stitches pulled if he moved a certain way, but Matthew patiently waited through it all. He was lucky, very lucky, that no vital organs were hit during the raid.

He was lucky to be alive - especially when he had so much to say to a certain pathologist, but she still had yet to show back up in his room.

(Matthew imagined he could still smell her unique perfume - peonies and antiseptic from the morgue - and it always seemed stronger when he woke, but that was probably all in his head.)

Another week in the hospital and he was finally well enough to go home for more bed rest and light exercise. Geoffrey stopped by every afternoon; Jean worked from home to make sure he behaved (and that him and Amy Parks didn't kill each other when she wasn't looking), and Matthew enjoyed her company - reminding him of before Lucien's disappearance - but there was someone he was missing more.

' _Alice, please come home._ '

* * *

Jean worried the strap of her purse as she watched Alice jot something down on a chart at the end of the hallway. Alice's movements were jerky, abrupt, and Jean noted the exhausted slant to her shoulders even this far away. Alice was sleeping no better than she had before, and now Jean wasn't there to make sure she took care of herself with Matthew back home.

' _That won't do_ ,' Jean thought. She promised Matthew she'd talk to Alice, and so with a deep breath, Jean approached her friend.

Alice looked up - startled at first, but she smiled. "Jean."

"Alice, are you busy?"

"Not really," Alice gestured to the chart in front of her. "It's mostly mundane protocol. What can I do for you?"

"I'd like to talk to you… about Matthew."

And just like that, Alice's face closed off - Jean swore she could see something shutter close behind her eyes at Matthew's name.

"I'm afraid I'm more busy than I thought, Jean."

Alice gathered up the chart and moved to pass Jean, but Jean simply curled a hand around Alice's upper arm and dragged her - the pathologist protesting and fighting her - down from the hospital and into the morgue.

No one would bother them down here and Jean knew Alice would feel more at ease in her original place of work. Alice was tense beneath Jean's hand, and as soon as Jean let go Alice rounded on her.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing!"

"Telling you to get your head out of the sand, Alice! Matthew has been out of the hospital for a week now, he's recovering physically, but he's missing you. _You_ , Alice. You wanted more time with him and now you're squandering your chance to tell him how you feel, to spend time with him."

Alice looked caught between anger, exhaustion, and tears; Jean saw a multitude of emotions flash across her friend's face. She finally sighed and collapsed onto one of the stools - her head in her hands.

"I'm scared, Jean." Alice whispered, so soft Jean could barely hear her even in the silent morgue. "I'm just… I'm so _scared_."

"Of Matthew?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"Of screwing it all up…"

Jean squeezed Alice's shoulder, "I can't promise that that won't happen, Alice, but you have to try. Go home, take the afternoon and get some rest. Then… come over for dinner. Once you've had some sleep and a good meal in you, _talk to Matthew_."

Alice ran her hands through her hair and looked as though she might refuse, but she let out a long, tired sigh and nodded.

"Alright, Jean."

"Things will turn out fine, Alice, you'll see," Jean pressed a kiss to Alice's forehead - hiding a smile at the lip print left behind - and pulled her friend to her feet. "Home, sleep, come over for food, in that order, Dr. Harvey."

Alice gave her a tired smile, "Yes, Mrs. Blake."

Jean watched her go and vowed that her and Matthew would talk.

' _I'll lock them in the study if I have to,_ ' she nodded to herself. They deserved happiness, even if both were a little stubborn to see that. If they didn't move it along themselves, Jean would just have to give them both a little nudge in the right direction.

Well… more than a nudge if she had to push them into Lucien's study. (She hoped it wouldn't come to that)


	5. Chapter 5

_The last chapter! Thank you so much for coming along with me in this story and supporting me through it all! Enjoy the ending and **this chapter is rated M!**_

* * *

Alice was quiet during dinner, far more quiet than she usually was and Matthew couldn't help but worry. He was happy to see her, but she very pointedly avoided being alone with him leading up to the meal. Jean cajoled her into conversation occasionally, the two of them chatting about cases and the hospital - Alice falling quiet whenever Jean turned to Matthew for his opinion.

He could feel her eyes on him throughout the meal, but every time he looked at her, her gaze was firmly on her plate.

Matthew didn't like this. He didn't like feeling this way, it was too much like the tension in his house growing up.

Alice was driving him crazy. Little touches of her were all over the house: stacks of medical journals in the study with notes in the margin made with her precise handwriting, an extra coat hung next to the door even when she didn't come over for dinner, dog-eared paperback books stacked in the parlor. He could smell her in his room of all places (she must have stayed over at some point when he was in the hospital, his pillows were off and his robe was draped over the foot of the bed instead of on the back of the door) and each night he'd toss and turn because she was _there_ , but she wasn't and it left him short-tempered during the day.

Amy left as soon as dinner was done and Jean retreated upstairs for some reason or other, so Matthew took this chance and gingerly approached Alice as she washed and dried their dishes in the sink.

"Alice?"

"Mm."

It wasn't an actual word, but it was something.

He leaned up against the counter next to the sink, trying to catch her eye, but Alice wouldn't budge. She kept her gaze firmly on the dishes, a furrow of concentration (or was it irritation?) between her brows as her hands moved efficiently from one dish to the next.

"I just… I wanted to say that I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for scaring you. The raid got out of hand and I should've gotten out of there before it went awry, but I didn't and I'm sorry."

The only immediate reaction he got out of her was a clenched jaw and a white-knuckled grip on the towel in her hands.

"I don't… I don't like seeing you at the hospital, Matthew." Alice finally spoke, drying the teacups from the afternoon. "And I don't like having to operate on you either."

"At least it wasn't my leg this time," he winced the second that statement passed his lips and cringed even further when Alice sent him an icy glare over her shoulder as she started to put away the dried dishes. (He'd seen her frostiest one before, but never directed at him.)

"That… wasn't what I meant, Alice, I'm sorry. I'm just… I'm sorry for scaring you. It just… there are times where I feel like it doesn't matter, like my safety doesn't matter because I'm not wanted. Lucien isn't here and the closure rate isn't as good as it used to be. Melbourne isn't exactly subtle about itching to get me out… I just don't matter anymore."

The teacup shattered as it hit the floor; he jumped but Alice didn't even flinch. " _Stop that_."

"Stop what?"

She whirled around and he saw angry tears gather in her eyes. "Stop saying that you don't matter, Matthew. _You matter_!"

He ran his hands through his hair, pulling slightly and shouted, "To who!"

"To _me_!" Alice yelled back and sucked in a breath so quick he was surprised she didn't keel over. Tears spilled down her face, and her hands clenched and unclenched as her whole body trembled before him. Her words rang in his ears and he watched her carefully, not sure what she'd do next.

"You matter to me," she whispered, her voice cracking on the last word and the dam finally broke. Alice sobbed into her hands, flinching instinctively when he first pulled her into his arms, but she didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around his waist.

* * *

Jean lingered in the shadows of the hallway.

She'd initially rushed down the stairs when she heard the cup shatter and raised voices, but slowed when she caught sight of Alice sobbing in Matthew's arms - his own tears streaming down his face, sorrow etched into every line. He rocked Alice gently as her hands clung to his shirt with a white-knuckled grip.

"Lucien is gone." Alice whispered into his shoulder. "He's gone, Matthew, and I moved on from that… but I can't lose you too. You _matter_ to me, you're _important_ to me… I don't think my heart could take it if I lost you. I love you too much for that."

Matthew slumped against the counter and he wrapped his arms further around Alice's shoulders. "I just feel like I'm not enough anymore, Alice… Everyone always looked to him for answers and now he's gone and… it feels like I'm replaceable."

"You're enough, you've always been enough to me." Alice drew back from his embrace, tears still falling. "You'll _always_ be enough, I don't need you to go off half-cocked into dangerous situations out of some need to prove yourself to me or anyone else. I need you here because you're irreplaceable and because I want you here."

Matthew cradled her face with shaking hands and Jean felt a pang in her heart - she was intruding on this special, pivotal moment between the two of them. She was happy for them, that was no question, but it just reminded her of similar moments and realizations of her own past. Sucking her lips between her teeth, Jean blinked back tears and slipped back upstairs.

They didn't need a witness, not anymore.

* * *

"I love you, Matthew," Alice whispered, shivering when Matthew's calloused thumbs caressed her cheeks. "I'm so sorry for making you wait, and for wasting time…"

The tears started again and her face crumpled; Alice gripped his shirt so hard it wrinkled in her fists as she let out hiccuping sobs, "I was scared when I saw you lying there on that gurney bleeding. I was scared when I had to be the one to operate on you. And I was scared of losing you before I had a chance to tell you how I felt because I'd been scared of what people would say, of how it would reflect on you and on me. I'm so sorry for thinking that any of that mattered before."

"Shh, sweetheart," Matthew pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You were right to worry. It's alright."

"It's not, Matthew! We've wasted so much time… _I've_ wasted so much time."

He tugged her towards him and slanted his mouth over hers. His fingers slid into her hair as she gasped into the kiss - her hands clutched at his back and she lost herself in the kiss. Heat flooded her body, her skin tingling as Matthew kissed her again and again.

He drew back, gently nuzzling his nose against hers, and pressed a light kiss to her still parted lips. "No more wasted time, and no more apologizing, sweetheart. I'm here and I love you… I'm not going anywhere."

Matthew kissed her again, and guided her out of the kitchen by her hand.

"Matthew, what abou-?"

Another kiss from Matthew cut her off and Alice sighed into it.

"I'll clean up the spill later, right now I just want you, just you," he whispered against her lips - his eyes searching hers for permission.

She nodded and kissed him, gently nipping at his bottom lip. He groaned in the back of his throat and tugged her towards his room with a greater sense of urgency than before. Butterflies filled her stomach along with a deep-seeded ache for the man in front of her.

Matthew pulled her into his bedroom and pushed her up against the door. His mouth was hot against hers as she scrambled to lock the door behind them. He threaded his fingers into her hair and pulled her in for another kiss; Alice pressed her body against his when Matthew nipped at her lower lip.

Her hands tugged Matthew's shirt from his trousers, seeking the heated skin underneath as he nipped and sucked at the skin of her neck. When he hit a particularly sensitive spot, Alice gasped and her fingernails dug into the skin of his back, causing Matthew to grunt against her neck. She swept her hands up to his collar, her fingers shaking as she sought to rid him of his shirt. When Matthew chuckled against her neck at her irritated huff, Alice grabbed both sides of his shirt and _pulled._

Buttons clattered to the floor and Matthew pulled back in shock.

"I'll fix it later," Alice promised with a grin and a quick kiss to his lips. Nipping at his bottom lip, she jolted Matthew back to the more important matter at hand and he kissed her hungrily as she pushed the shirt from his shoulders. His singlet followed soon after and Alice eagerly explored the newly revealed skin of his torso.

She'd touched him on the operating table, through gloves and in a sterilized, frantic environment. She'd touched him in his recovery room, his skin cool under her fingers as she checked on the stab wounds and mottled bruising on his torso. She'd touched him before, but not like this. She'd never really known what "skin hunger" was until Matthew, until that spark lit between them and utterly consumed her. Alice couldn't get enough of him, the warm weight of his hands as they swept up and down her back, his skin - hot and soft and wanting - under her hands, and the press of his hardness against her hip. Matthew pulled her up for a messy kiss - all teasing tongue and teeth and Alice dragged her nails down the length of his spine. Heat enveloped her, fizzing throughout her body as his kisses fired off all of the synapses in her brain telling her this was good, this was pleasure, this was _Matthew_.

Everything was Matthew, everything was heat and trembling hands.

He pulled the hem of her shirt up - she lifted it up the rest of the way above her head and threw it to the side as Matthew's hands explored her back and teased her breasts through her slip and bra.

" _Matthew_ ," Alice breathed, tilting her head back - hitting the door with a faint 'thunk!' - when Matthew's teeth scraped against her collarbone.

"Sorry I can't sweep you off your feet and carry you to bed, sweetheart," he whispered into the skin of her neck. "You deserve to be romanced."

Alice pulled him up for a bruising kiss, her thumbs caressing his cheekbones, "I just want you, dearest, in whatever way you are. You're all I need."

Matthew kissed her back, his hands curling around her hips and pulled her body flush with his. He pulled her away from the door and turned them towards the bed, leaning against her for balance as they drew closer to the bed - Alice stealing kisses along the way as she mapped out the muscles of his arms and chest and back with her fingers.

Nimble hands unzipped her skirt and nudged it to the floor; they smoothed up her thighs - over her stockings, under her slip - and over the curve of her bum as Matthew nipped at her neck. Alice raked her nails down his back again - feeling his groan more than hearing it - and pulled her slip over her head; she reached for Matthew's belt at the same time as him, their hands tangling together in a frantic knot as he quickly undid the buckle while she unbuttoned his pants and slid the zipper of his currently very tight trousers down. Matthew gasped against her mouth when her fingers brushed his erection through his pants and Alice grinned. She got that reaction from him, _she_ did.

He nipped at her lower lip and swept his hands up her back as his trousers fell to the floor - the buckle clattering on the rug at their feet. Alice moaned softly as his fingers danced across her back - it was like every touch ignited a fire beneath her skin. She hadn't been with anyone for some time and she'd missed the simple, yet intimate act of touching another person. Matthew's skillful fingers unhooked her bra and he tossed it to the side. With a gentle push towards the bed from Matthew, Alice sprawled across the top of his covers, naked from the waist up and flushing under Matthew's appreciative gaze.

She held out her hands - shaking in the low light of his room.

"Please," Alice whispered. "Please, Matthew."

He took her hands and sat on the bed, pressing gentle kisses to her fingers and the backs of her hands. "Patience, sweetheart. Let's enjoy this."

"I _am_ enjoying it," she pouted.

Matthew chuckled and pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist, "Let this old man take his time enjoying the woman he loves."

She sat up and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck as Matthew let out a note of surprise at the sudden move. "You're not that old, Matthew, and we've got all night, we can take our time _later_."

"How can I argue with you when you put it like that?" He laughed against her lips and slid his arms around her waist.

Alice pulled herself onto his lap - careful not to put too much weight on his right leg - and pressed herself up against him so she was flush with his body. Matthew trailed kisses along her jaw and down her neck while he unhooked her garters and removed the garter belt. She held his head to her chest - her fingers threading through his hair as he nipped and sucked at her skin, littering it with darkening bruises that she'd have a hard time hiding.

Alice didn't care, all she wanted was Matthew. Dear Matthew, who was stroking every inch of her with deft hands and tongue. Dear Matthew, who she loved and cherished - the new scars from his recent hospital stay reminding her just how close she came to losing him. Dear Matthew, who suddenly flipped them so Alice lay on her back and his body pressed her into the mattress.

He muffled her surprised whoop with a kiss - his tongue lazily caressing hers as he smoothed his hands over her body, tripping over her ribs and the jut of her hip bones. Alice lifted her hips, seeking out the friction she desperately wanted - _needed_ \- from him.

Matthew nipped at her lower lip, "Easy, sweetheart."

"Matthew…" Alice dragged her nails down his back again, shivering when he bucked against her. She tugged at the waistband of his shorts, "Off, please."

"Don't I get a say in it?" he chuckled against her neck.

" _Matthew_."

He grinned, "You're just so beautiful, I want to savor every moment."

She flushed at the compliment - no one had ever called her beautiful and meant it. With Matthew, she could almost believe it was true. He kissed her deeply, gently sucking and nipping at her jaw and on the sensitive skin below her ear.

With one last nip to her throat, Matthew took off his shorts and then eased her stockings and knickers down her legs at what seemed like a glacial pace. She _wanted_ him, needed to feel him inside her, against her - his skin on hers, but Matthew seemed determined to touch and taste every inch of her. His fingers glided up her trembling legs, drawing idle designs into the soft skin behind her knees, her inner thighs, the crease of her hips - his lips pressing kisses to her stomach, ribs, the valley of her breasts as he teased the dark, damp curls between her legs.

She pulled Matthew up for a heated kiss as he slipped a finger into her folds - gasping against his lips when he stroked her clit and added a second finger. Her hips bucked against his hand and Matthew nipped at the pulse point on her throat. Heat flooded her body, coiling in her belly and ricocheting through her veins as Matthew pushed her closer and closer to climax. There'd be bruises and marks she wouldn't be able to hide with her clothes for a few days, but Alice didn't care. She'd be sore in the morning, but she didn't care.

Matthew was here, Matthew was _alive_ and _here_. The weight of his body pressed against hers - sweat gathering between them as the air grew hot and heavy in his bedroom. She'd never be able to look at his fingers the same way again, knowing the pleasure he could bring to her with a crook of a knuckle and the sharpness of his teeth against her skin. Reaching between them, Alice palmed his erection, grinning when Matthew groaned and instinctively thrust into her hand. She teased him, as he teased her, and a satisfied smile settled on her face when Matthew rolled and pinned her to the bed - her wrists held in a vice like grip above her head. There was a wild look in Matthew's darkened eyes and Alice arched up into his body - enjoying the clench of his jaw when the heat of her sex brushed against his cock.

Pressing a bruising kiss to her lips, Matthew growled, "Patience, sweetheart."

"We've waited long enough, Matthew, and this isn't going to be a one time sort of arrangement," she pouted.

The wild look softened just a touch and he leaned down to kiss her, letting go of her wrists as his tongue dragged along her already swollen lips. Alice eagerly sought him out, her hands splayed against his back as Matthew slowly lined up himself up and pushed into her heat. She bit down on her lower lip to muffle her groan - Matthew rocking slowly to let them both get used to it - and her head fell back against the pillows once he was fully seated inside her.

Matthew's arms trembled on either side of her and Alice pulled him down so he lay flushed with her; his hips bucked and her nails dug into his shoulders as she gasped.

"Good?" he asked, peppering her freckled shoulder with kisses. Alice nodded and wrapped a leg around his hip as Matthew started thrusting into her in a languid pace. She lifted her hips with each of his thrusts and it took a bit for them to figure out a good rhythm. Matthew groaned into the crook of her neck and she clutched at his back, feeling the muscles constrict and relax with every thrust. His hands bruised her hips, his nails leaving stinging red welts all down her sides as she nipped and licked at the tendons of his neck.

When his thumb circled her clit, Alice arched up into him and bit down on his shoulder to muffle the half-strangled scream tearing from her throat - clawing at his shoulders and back when he flicked the bundle of nerves with each thrust.

"Yes," she panted. " _Oh, fuck, yes._ "

" _Christ_ , sweetheart," Matthew kissed her - sloppy, messy - and she threaded her fingers into his hair.

Alice littered his shoulders and chest with kisses and love bites of her own as his hips rolled against hers - his tempo occasionally losing rhythm as they both chased their building climaxes. It started in her toes - tingling and sparking as it traveled up her legs, coiling deep within her, tension building in her thighs as she trembled underneath him.

"Sweethear-"

"I'm with you," Alice nipped at the pulse point just below his jaw and felt his groan vibrate against her lips. "I'm with you, Matthew."

He buried his face in her neck, thrusting with abandon - his thumb circled her clit one last time as he bit her shoulder and Alice muffled her shout against his neck as she came. It rippled throughout her body, stars exploding behind closed eyelids, limbs tingling, and warmth spreading within as Matthew wasn't far behind. She held him close as he shook in her arms, and he slumped against her with a tired - but satisfied - sigh.

Rolling to the side, Matthew slipped out of her and smoothed her hair out of her face with trembling hands. Alice smiled and pressed a kiss to his palms - his rapid pulse matching the heartbeat still roaring in her ears as the sweat started to cool on their bodies.

Matthew's breath was warm against her forehead and he let out a faint chuckle, "Wow."

"My sentiments exactly, Superintendent," Alice grinned and pressed a kiss to his chin. "I love you."

"And I love you too," he kissed her forehead.

She trailed her hands over his chest, lightly tracing the still pink scars below his ribs. The bruising on his face and torso had faded - Alice saw some of the worst still healing on his skin. "How are the ribs?"

"Sore, and so is my knee," he sighed, his hands smoothing up and down her back as she continued her inspection. "Might have overdone it, but… eh, it was worth it."

Alice laughed lightly and brushed her lips against his - once, twice, three times, "I don't think that counted as 'light exercise', Matthew."

"If I promise to rest, will that make you feel better?"

She kissed him again, humming when his tongue swiped across her lower lip. "Just take care of yourself, then I'll be happy."

"That I can do," he whispered against her lips. Matthew's tongue lazily met hers, his fingers tangling in her hair as he kissed her. "That I can do, sweetheart."

"And no more getting into dangerous situations… intentionally," she added, when his eyebrows rose. "I know things can get out of hand at the drop of a hat, but no more going head first into danger."

"I'll try. And the same for you, you attract trouble just as much as Lucien did." Matthew laughed when Alice swatted lightly at his shoulder. "Though, you're much quicker to sedate with a needle than he ever was."

"I'm smaller than most perps, I have to use things to my advantage."

He laughed again and pressed a kiss to her nose. "I haven't gotten the chance to say this, sweetheart, but I'm so proud of you, what you've done as police surgeon, how you've handled everything after Lucien disappeared… I'm just so proud."

Alice hummed and lightly kissed him - her cheeks blushing pink at the praise, "Thank you, dearest."

Matthew held her close and kissed her forehead, "We'll be alright, the two of us."

"Yes, we will," she agreed. "But for right now, we should probably sleep."

He chuckled and hid a yawn behind his hand, "I suppose you're right."

"I'm a doctor, don't you know?" Alice smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'll help you get under the covers and slip out for the bathroom."

"And then sleep?"

She nodded and he smiled. Making short work of the covers, Alice tucked Matthew in - held captive by his hands until she gave him kisses - and borrowed his bathrobe to slip out into the rest of the house. Tiptoeing through the hallway towards the bathroom, Alice relieved herself and then swung by the kitchen to clean up the shattered teacup from before.

Only to come face to face with Jean sweeping up its remains.

"Oh!" Alice lurched to a halt and her hand rose to instinctively hold the robe tighter over her chest. "I'm… I'm sorry, Jean, I meant to clean that up earlier."

Jean simply smiled - the smile growing wider when she realized just _what_ Alice wore. (Alice felt her ears burning, but Jean seemed happy for her.)

"It's alright, Alice, I knew someone would clean it up eventually. You and Matthew… talked?"

Her ears burned even more, but Alice smiled and nodded.

"And everything's good?"

"Yes."

"Good," Jean practically beamed and enfolded Alice in a brief hug.

She drew back and squeezed Alice's elbows, "You can stay here, as long as you want." Then, Jean leaned in with a mischievous look in her eyes, "You left some spare clothes up in Mattie's room, so if you get called out to a scene, it'll look like you came from your house first."

Alice giggled as Jean winked, "Thank you, Jean."

Jean pressed a kiss to Alice's cheek, "You're very welcome. Now go, spend time with him. I'll let you know if a case comes up."

After another brief hug from Jean, Alice slipped back into Matthew's room; she took a moment to watch him dozing on the bed - covers around his waist, one arm tucked behind his head, the other resting on his stomach as he lightly snored. She was so incredibly lucky, getting this second chance with him and she definitely wasn't about to squander it. Hanging the robe back on the door, Alice slipped back into bed with Matthew.

His hand reached for her before his eyes opened and she settled against his side with a sigh - his hand landing on hers as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Everything okay?" he asked, his voice low and rumbling beneath her ear.

"Yes," she pressed a kiss to his chest. "Everything's perfect."

"Good."

Matthew slipped back asleep within seconds and Alice pressed another kiss to his chest as she soon followed him. There would be talk of them, of their relationship, but Alice didn't care. She had Matthew, she had Jean's support, and the support of their closest friends. Whatever happened, they'd weather it together.

She was home.


End file.
